The river Godavari water started flowing towards Sriramsagar project from the upstream Babli Barrage in Maharashtra for the first time this water year as the gates of the reservoir were lifted by the authorities of the Maharashtra Water Resources Department in the presence of Irrigation Department engineers of Telangana and the Central Water Commission.
Gates of the Babli Barrage are kept opened from July 1 to October 28 every year as per a Supreme Court order issued in February 2013. The gates would also be lifted for a day on March 1 every year to let 0.6 tmc ft water downstream for drinking needs.
Combined Andhra Pradesh moved the Supreme Court in 2006 opposing construction of the barrage, located 30 km from the inter-state border, that commenced in 2004, contending that it would impact flows into Sriramsagar project and over 7.28 lakh hectares ayacut in combined Adilabad, Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Warangal, Nalgonda, Khammam and Medak districts as also drinking needs.
